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Representative Schakowsky Votes Against GOP Effort to Gut Public Health & Safety Regulations


Washington, D.C.–(ENEWPSF)–July  27, 2012 – Yesterday, Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after House passage of HR 4078:

“Today, the House passed H.R. 4078 – one of the most dangerous Republican proposals to date.  If this bill ever became law, it would put a stop to future safeguards, affecting everything from public health, public safety and environmental protections to seniors’ and veterans’ benefits.

 Simply put, this omnibus bill could have a harmful impact on nearly every American.  It would stop common-sense regulations such as food safety requirements that prevent foodborne illness, fuel efficiency standards that cut down on our dependence on foreign oil, power plant pollution limits that protect air quality, and rules that protect workers from hazardous workplace exposure to harmful silica and beryllium. Preventing those protections could result in hundreds of thousands of preventable illnesses, injuries, and deaths annually.

 For seniors and people with disabilities,  the bill would reduce Medicare payments to hospitals, physicians, and other providers by eliminating annual inflation updates that keep pace with the rising cost of health care delivery. Sweeping away this requirement could cause significant access issues to seniors and people with disabilities. For consumers, the bill would stop protections from hidden fees and the sometimes predatory practices of the financial industry. For veterans, the bill would prevent significant improvements made to veterans’ benefits, including exemptions to loan fees and modifications to loan repayment programs.

Inexplicably, Republicans argue that pending regulations to protect the public will cost jobs – a false pretense already widely debunked by economists of all stripes. In fact, Bruce Bartlett, an economic advisor under Presidents Reagan and G.H.W. Bush, called this view  ‘nonsense’ and a ‘canard invented by Republicans.’

The Republican bill won’t create jobs. Instead of passing proposals based on debunked philosophies, Congress should be debating bills that would invest in our schools, infrastructure, and our economy, and would create good-paying jobs for the American worker.”

Source: schakowsky.house.gov


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